Jefferson Barracks Park

You probably know of Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, but right by the cemetery is Jefferson Barracks Park which is made up of an old U.S. Army post. With a historic stone stable and house, small garden, wooden archway down a path, historic brick building, and large bridge you won’t fall short of finding the perfect background for your senior pictures. Jefferson Barracks Park is perfect for one-hour sessions.

Check out my list of the top senior picture locations in St. Louis, MO to get inspired by more locations to have your senior pictures taken.

The Best Part About Jefferson Barracks Park

Within the park you’ll find a historic brick building with green doors that sits nearby the trail. This building is perfect for standing in the doorway, leaning against, or even sitting in the field of grass nearby. The trail even has tall grasses that are perfect for standing in or in front of.

There’s even a large bridge that goes over the railroad tracks and leads to the Mississippi River. This is perfect for leaning against the bridge or sitting and standing in the middle of it. You can even cross over to get some portraits with the river in the background.

The highlight of the park though is the historic stone stable and house. You’ll never run out of ideas for poses here with the beautiful buildings, garden, fences, and wide-open field. The doorways are great to stand in and lean against the side of the door or place your hands on each doorframe. You can even stand in front of or lean on the stable doors. The stable even has a windowsill you can sit in.

Nearby the stable is a wooden fence that you can lean on, sit next to, or stand on the opposite side of. Head over to the side of the house for beautiful portraits either standing or sitting on the pathway. You can even step into the garden for a few portraits as well or lean against the lamppost. As you wrap around to the back of the building, you’ll find a low, rod iron fence that you can lean against or sit next to.

As you reach the back of the house, you’ll find a wooden arch that’s perfect for standing between, leaning against, or sitting against. You’ll also be surrounded by nature as trees grow all around the stone pathway in the back. You may even be able to spot a few deer back here.

What to Expect Each Season

Spring

With spring means color is returning to the park. This also means that the few flowers around back of the historic stone house are blooming as well. There aren’t many flowers that grow in Jefferson Barracks, but this spot is bound to have some.

Summer

All the trees and plants are filled with color and the garden is growing. This means your backgrounds will be filled with beautiful green colors against the grey or red buildings and makes for the perfect time to sit in a grassy field.

Fall

Fall is the perfect time to visit Jefferson Barracks Park. The trees surrounding the area will be beautiful and filled with oranges, reds, and yellows. They’ll also cover the ground in the leaves, giving you the perfect amount for leaf throwing portraits.

Winter

Since there are so many trees and plants that grow in Jefferson Barracks, there won’t be much color in the area, especially because the stone buildings are grey and the doors on them are blue. But when the park is covered in a blanket of snow, you’re bound to find the perfect backgrounds.

Pricing and Accommodations

Jefferson Barracks Park is quiet and absolutely free. It is open to the public 7 days a week. There may be occasional events around the park. Restrooms are located in various locations.

Address

345 North Rd, St. Louis, MO 63125. This will take you to Jefferson Barracks Visitor’s Center.

Senior Pictures at Jefferson Barracks Park

Grace
Jefferson Barracks Park
Talk about a stunning, young woman. Grace needed a place to have homecoming pictures taken with her friend, and what better place than Jefferson Barracks Park. We took such…
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Kaelyn
Jefferson Barracks Park
Being Kaelyn’s senior year and last prom, she wanted some professional pictures taken. Her large group thought that it would be fun to take a few at the prom venue, but then…
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Emily | Historic Town Girl

When Emily’s mom approached me about senior pictures, she said she would love some taken down by the old, stone bridge in Maeystown. And that’s exactly what we did, plus we even took some around the town by some of the old buildings and in an open field that had stone steps and a creek running behind it. Check out some of the unique portrait’s we captured below!

Maeystown

Nestled away in Southern Illinois sits the old German town of Maeystown. Founded in 1852, this beautiful, small town offers old stone buildings, wooden sheds, brick buildings, a lovely creek, and an old stone bridge. Maeystown is the perfect location if you’re looking for a different location than the rest of your classmates all while offering an old, German town feel.

Check out my list of the top senior picture locations in St. Louis, MO to get inspired by more locations to have your senior pictures taken.

The Best Part About Maeystown

From creek side to storefront, Maeystown offers a variety of beautiful backgrounds for your senior pictures. Many of the buildings are made from stone, or have an older style to them. These buildings are great for leaning on or sitting next to, and some businesses even have seating arrangements outside, like a swinging chair. There’s an old stone church where you can stand in the doorway or sit on the steps. Along the sidewalks there are even old, stone retaining walls that make for neat backgrounds.

The town also sits on a hillside which makes for great and different perspectives for your portraits. It’s a quiet town with virtually no hustle and bustle, so you can stand in the roadway for a few portraits too. Just down the street is the old, stone bridge which makes for a unique background. You can stand in the creek or sit in the grass with the bridge in the background.

The creek is perfect for kicking your feet around in the water as well. Follow it down a bit further and there’s a perfect spot where you can sit on some old stone steps or stand or sit in the grass with rock as your background, along with the creek.

What to Expect Each Season

Spring

The weather is still cooler out and the creek might be a bit colder than you’d like to stand in, but the trees and grass are starting to bloom again. There aren’t many flowers around the area except for those planted by locals. Some of the flowers that are blooming are planted down beautiful stone path alleyways.

Summer

Summer is the perfect time of year to take creek portraits down by the stone bridge. You’ll be able to cool off, kick your feet around, and walk away with stunning portraits. Everything is also green at this time of year including a large tree with ivy growing up the side of it. You can even grab an ice cream from Corner George Inn Sweet Shoppe to cool off and take some fun ice cream portraits.

Fall

The open field is the perfect spot to find fallen leaves on the ground, but the town in general has trees surrounding the area just waiting to turn to beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. Leaves will decorate the creek to give you that pop of warm, fall colors down by the stone bridge. The hillside is also covered in trees and makes for the ultimate fall backdrop.

Winter

There’s not much in Maeystown during the winter, but this small town is beautiful blanketed by snow. Head down by the stone bridge for some beautiful, snow filled creek portraits or twirl around in the snow in the open grass. This town would make for awesome faux fur coat or vintage winter portraits.

Pricing and Accommodations

Maeystown is quiet and free to park. You can walk the streets 24/7. The only things that cost and will close are the local shops. This is a fully functioning town with many buildings being residential or commercial, so there are no public bathrooms.

Address

1103 Mill St, Maeystown, IL 62256 is a good place to park. This is between Around the Corner Coffee Company and Hank and Lilly’s Creekside.

Senior Pictures in Maeystown

Emily
Maeystown
When Emily’s mom approached me about senior pictures, she said she would love some taken down by the old, stone bridge in Maeystown. And that’s exactly…
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Brannagan | Adventure Awaits

Brannagan wanted to adventure somewhere he had never been before, so we decided to do his short session at Bee Tree Park. Despite the fact it was in the middle of winter and there were no leaves on the trees, we still were able to take plenty awesome looking portraits. Scroll down to see his images!

Eckert’s

If you enjoy picking fruits and veggies, or just want a farm aesthetic for your senior pictures, then Eckert’s is the place for you. No matter what season it is, there’s always something growing that makes for beautiful scenery in your portraits. You can easily spend an hour or more having your portraits taken here.

Check out my list of the top senior picture locations in St. Louis, MO to get inspired by more locations to have your senior pictures taken.

The Best Part About Eckert’s

Eckert’s is ever changing. With different produce growing each season, you’ll have a variety of scenic opportunities.

The pumpkin patch makes for a perfect fall backdrop where you can sit surrounded by pumpkins, stand in the middle of the pumpkin row, or even hold a pumpkin or two.

Apples and peaches make for the perfect portraits where you look like you’re picking them or sit under a shady tree with a basket full of them. You can even have a little snack and take some portraits while you take a bite out of them.

The sunflower field is perfect for fun, summery, bright yellow flower portraits. You can easily peek through the sunflowers, stand in front of them, or pose down the dusty pathway in between the rows.

Corn fields are also fun to get lost in and take similar portraits to those in sunflower fields. Stand in the corn and push it to the sides to peek out or stand on the dirt path with corn surrounding you. Even take a seat on the ground to get the full effect of being surrounded by corn.

Eckert’s also has tractors and trucks parked around the vicinity that add to the country feel. You can lean against them, sit by them, or even climb up in the truck bed or on the tractor seat.

If you’re looking for more trees than fruit, Eckert’s grows Christmas Trees as well. You can stand in the middle of the rows, peek around the trees, or lay a blanket on the ground and sit under them.

What to Expect Each Season

Spring

With spring means all the decorative flowers are now blooming around the farm. This also means blackberry and strawberry season is here. These are perfect for nice, bright backgrounds as the berries will stand out against the greenery in the area, especially the bushes they’re growing on.

Summer

Summer is one of the most known times of year to head to Eckert’s with it being apple picking and sunflower season. You can even find peaches around the beginning of July. Blackberries are still growing for a little while longer too. This also means all the trees and grass are full of color, along with surrounding fruits and vegetables that are getting ready to pick, or even if they’re past season. You’ll be surrounded in lively color no matter what part of Eckert’s you’re at.

Fall

Not only are there beautiful fall colors and leaves falling around Eckert’s, but it’s also pumpkin season. This is the perfect time to head down to the pumpkin patch for pumpkin portraits. You can still catch apple picking season if you’re wanting some portraits with apples as well. The corn maze is ready to be traversed in the fall too.

Winter

There may not be much left growing in the winter, but there are Christmas Trees. Whether you’re looking for snowy portraits or not, these trees make for fun and nice green backgrounds. If it does snow though, the ground and Christmas Trees will be blanketed and make for wonderful winter wonderland portraits.

Pricing and Accommodations

Eckert’s is free to park, but they do charge a field pass fee, whether you’re picking fruits and vegetables or not. There are bathrooms in the main buildings, but not out in the fields.

Address

Belleville Location: 951 S Green Mt Rd, Belleville, IL 62220
Millstadt Location: 2719 Eckert Orchard Ln, Millstadt, IL 62260

Senior Pictures at Eckert’s

Emmie
Eckert’s
Emmie just knew that she had to have some sunflower senior pictures taken when she heard they were growing at Eckert’s! Not only did we find beautiful sunflowers growing…
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